La Fogata rules empanadas

35 years and still going strong

By Jennifer Rodriguez, For the Express-News :
May 20, 2013

La Fogata mixes up the dough and lets it sit for 10 minutes. The baker divides the dough into eighths and puts two pieces of dough together. For home use, we found this made the empanadas too big. In testing, we liked using 1/8 of the dough for each empanada.

La Fogata’s baker flattens the dough to the size of large tortilla and places the filling inside. She uses two ounces cream cheese and one ounce guava in its larger version.

Photo By Helen L. Montoya/San Antonio Express-News

We tried other fillings such as jam and canned pumpkin and they worked well, though the guava and cream cheese were our tasters’ favorites.

Photo By Helen L. Montoya/San Antonio Express-News

We also baked a few empanadas at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes and they tasted delicious, though the fried ones were better.

Photo By Helen L. Montoya/San Antonio Express-News

One of La Fogata's most beloved dishes is the guava empanadas.

Photo By Helen L. Montoya/San Antonio Express-News

La Fogata fries its empanadas in vegetable oil in a special fryer that makes the dough bubble and turn golden brown. Our fried version was tasty but not as pretty. It definitely didn’t bubble.

Photo By Helen L. Montoya/San Antonio Express-News

One of La Fogata's most beloved dishes is the guava empanadas.

Photo By Helen L. Montoya/San Antonio Express-News

One of La Fogata's most beloved dishes is the guava empanadas.

Photo By Helen L. Montoya/San Antonio Express-News

One of La Fogata's most beloved dishes is the guava empanadas.

Photo By Helen L. Montoya/San Antonio Express-News

At La Fogata, the fried empanada is cut in half, placed on a plate swirled with raspberry and chocolate syrup, dusted with powdered sugar and served with ice cream and a mint sprig.

Photo By Helen L. Montoya/San Antonio Express-News

One of La Fogata's most beloved dishes is the guava empanadas.

More Information

Empanada-making notes

La Fogata mixes up the dough and lets it sit for 10 minutes. The baker divides the dough into eighths and puts two pieces of dough together. For home use, we found this made the empanadas too big. In testing, we liked using 1/8 of the dough for each empanada.

La Fogata’s baker flattens the dough to the size of large tortilla and places the filling inside. She uses two ounces cream cheese and one ounce guava in its larger version.

We tried other fillings such as jam and canned pumpkin and they worked well, though the guava and cream cheese were our tasters’ favorites.

La Fogata fries its empanadas in vegetable oil in a special fryer that makes the dough bubble and turn golden brown. Our fried version was tasty but not as pretty. It definitely didn’t bubble.

We also baked a few empanadas at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes and they tasted delicious, though the fried ones were better. At La Fogata, the fried empanada is cut in half, placed on a plate swirled with raspberry and chocolate syrup, dusted with powdered sugar and served with ice cream and a mint sprig.

La Fogata believes the secret to its success is continually working to improve.

Since it is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, it must be doing something right. We talked to general manager David Dominguez to find out about one of its most popular desserts: the guava empanadas.

“The empanadas are a traditional dessert from the state of Veracruz, Mexico,” says Dominguez. “(From) the influence of indigenous Afro Cuban and Spanish culture, (it has) had a significant effect on the culinary landscape of this state ... This is a very popular dessert in Latin America and Galicia, Spain, as well; they have an empanada festival in Galicia every year.”

La Fogata has offered its empanadas on the menu since it opened. In fact, the owner still has a framed copy of the restaurant’s first menu.

“The original menu was created based on recipes from the previous owner’s mother-in-law,” says Dominguez.

Originally, La Fogata was operated by Jesse and Carmen Calvillo. Dwight Lieb purchased La Fogata in January 1997 and has since doubled the size of the restaurant physically, as well as in sales and its volume. It now takes up the equivalent of three city blocks.

Lieb says they are constantly “moving forward” in terms of growing and improving the restaurant and they’d look favorably on changing the menu to accommodate changing tastes — including adding savory empanadas such as chicken or beef if that would interest customers.

While La Fogata’s best-selling dish is un poquito de todo, which features a beef taco al carbon, a chicken flauta, a quesadilla and a cheese enchilada served with borracho beans and Mexican rice, the empanadas are one of its most popular desserts — after flan and tres leches cake. According to Dominguez, the restaurant makes the empanada dough one to three times per week to make 50-70 empanadas. It offers empanadas with two flavors, guava and mango.

“Fried-pie heaven,” says Express-News photographer Helen Montoya while watching a demonstration of the empanadas being prepared.

So while La Fogata continues to work to improve its business, it might want to leave the empanadas alone.

Jennifer Rodriguez is a local freelance writer/researcher. She can be reached at thebizwriter@gmail.com. Chefs’ Secrets will resume May 26.